Judge — December 19, 1896 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a four-panel narrative cartoon depicting a boy named Roger obtaining a Christmas tree during what appears to be a colonial-era conflict with Native Americans (referred to as "Pequods" in the text). The story shows: Roger cannot get a tree from the forest because Native Americans are waiting to attack. His sympathetic father fashions a Christmas tree by dressing a wooden pole or stick with a cloak and hat, then holds it up above the stockade while warriors shoot arrows at it. Roger then celebrates with his family upon receiving this improvised tree. The satire appears to mock domestic life during wartime—finding Christmas cheer and normalcy amid danger. The cartoon plays on the contrast between childhood innocence and frontier violence, presenting the father's creative solution as both absurd and touching. Without a specific date visible, the exact historical moment remains unclear, though the "Pequods" reference suggests colonial New England conflict.